JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 14, 2025 – JWB Cares, the nonprofit charitable organization of JWB Real Estate Companies, announces it will help eight residents become homeowners through a generous charitable fund of $160,000 in down payment assistance. The Welcome Home Fund is the only one of its kind supported by a property management company in Jacksonville. JWB held an event at the Jessie on Tuesday, Oct. 14 to commemorate the first-ever program.
JWB Cares launched the new Welcome Home Fund in April as a competitive process and received more than 450 applications for assistance. Applicants had to demonstrate financial need, a commitment to giving back to the Jacksonville community, ability to participate in JWB Homebuyer Education classes and purchase a home in Northeast Florida in the next 12 months.
This year’s recipients include single mothers, hardworking families in need and a victim of human trafficking. This critical assistance helps them over the many hurdles to homeownership.
JWB Cares previously built and gave away a single home annually to deserving and underserved residents who could not afford homes of their own. That resulted in six new homeowners.
“Our team at JWB recognized a need to expand our charitable giving to help more families become homeowners,” said Alex Sifakis, president of JWB. “JWB Cares created the Welcome Home Fund to provide critical assistance to deserving families who would not otherwise find homeownership accessible to them.”
An independent volunteer panel analyzed all applications for the program and chose 40 finalists. A committee of local nonprofit leaders convened in August to select the final eight recipients of the funding.
“Welcome Home Fund applicants represented a broad cross-section of residents in Jacksonville who need help to buy their own homes,” said Dr. Robert Kelly, Jr. president and CEO of READ USA who chaired the finalist committee. “We are so proud of the unique efforts of private charities helping in big ways in our community.”
JWB Cares is funded through annual generous donations by employees, vendors, clients and partners and its annual golf tournament. JWB’s property management company currently manages more than 5,600 rental homes in Jacksonville, the majority of which are affordable housing.
JWB is dedicated to Jacksonville’s growth and success which goes beyond rental housing. Through its nonprofit JWB Cares, the organization has donated over 10,000 volunteer hours, built six homes for families in need, and raised and donated more than $1.7 million for local causes.